Nov. 15, 2002

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

In the Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, dozens of Islamic Jihad supporters celebrated the news Friday of the Hebron attack that killed 12 Israelis and wounded 13.

The supporters rushed into the streets in celebration, some firing in the air.

"This is retaliation for the daily crimes and massacres committed by the Zionist occupation against our people," one armed man said over loudspeaker.

The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack in a call to the Al Jazeera telivision station, saying that it was in response for the killing of an Islamic Jihad leader Iyad Sawalha in Jenin by IDF troops earlier in the week.

The attack comes as Fatah and Hamas are reportedly discussing a three-month cease-fire in Cairo. Islamic Jihad is not part of the talks - and even an agreement in those talks would not have stopped Friday's attacks; a possible moratorium would not apply to the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where all Palestinian groups view soldiers and settlers as legitimate targets.

-- Anonymous, November 16, 2002